Lamp-socket-securing means for electric fixtures



Nov. 6, 1928. Y 1,690,941

H. E. NICKERSON mm: spcxn'r SECURING MEANS FQR ELECTRIOFIXTURES Filed Oct. 10. 192'? gwuentqw wm W JKQ Patented Nov. 6, 1928 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. NICKERSON, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCR LAMP-SOCKET-SECURING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC FIXTURES.

Application filed October 10, 1927. Serial No 225,386.

The present invention relates to electric light fixtures and more particularly to a device for retaining an electric lamp socket in association with a wall or ceiling canopy or the like. i

An objectof the invention is to provide an improved holding device adapted to accommodate a socket having the usual metallic shell and to support the same and a wall or ceiling canopy. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a socket holder and support of adjustable construction which is adaptable to canopies of various types and sizes. As is well known, canopies vary in depth and it is desirable in mounting the socket, particularly with a fixture which serves also to support the canopy, that the mounting or holding instrumentality be adjustable so as to position the socket and its holder at a distance from the wall or ceiling corresponding to the depth of the canopy.

A still further object of the invention is .to provide means for automatically locking the securing parts of the holder in position after the same have been adjusted, such means being preferabl of a yielding character, whereby it may be readily released, if necessar Xnother object of the invention is to provide a support of simple, readily adjust-able construction adapted to be cheaply manufactured and sold at a relatively small cost, and which, because of its construction, may be quickly assembled and installed in association with the socket, canopy and other'parts of the usual fixture.

The invention comprises an element, which may be termed a ring or annulus, adapted to receive therein an electric lamp socket having the usual metallic shell with an intermediate shoulder which abuts the annulus so as to limit movement of the socket in one direction therethrough. This element or anwhereby it is adapted to take over a lateral socket projection such as a chain exit in the usual pull type of socket. The ring is provided with one or more lugs adapted to cooperate with a bracket which may be fitted upon an outlet stud, the-bracket having one or more arms to cooperate with the lugs and to permit adjustment of the ring longitudinally of the arm or arms corresponding to the depth of the canopy between" its wall engaging portion and the flange which abuts the rin The invention also includes means adapted to secure the annulus in position upon the bracket arms, suchmeans including complemental parts upon the arms and annulus adapted to be interengaged and adapted to yield to permit adjustment. The device is preferably provided with a suitable means,

such as ,a' collar threaded upon the socket,

to clamp-the canopy flange between-the ring and collar and thereby support the, canopy as well as the socket from the bracket.

The above and other objects and features of the invention which are more. closely related to the details of construction will become clearer as the description proceeds in connection with a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an assembled unit,

Figure 2 isa perspective of the socket engaging annulus, v

Figure 3 is a perspective of the bracket for supporting the annulus, and

Figure 4: is a perspective of the spring clip To THE WEBER ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

for locking the annulus and bracket together i in adjusted position.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, 10 indicates the conventional type of outlet box having a stud ll therein, the outlet box being set into a wall W and as is customary, being concealed by a canopy C which, as illustrated, is of the conventional type having an intermediate in turned flange 11 with an inverted cup-shaped portion 12 which may receive a reflector or globe.

The present invention relates to the holding means for the canopy C and for the lamp socket S which, as illustrated, is of the usual type having a metallic shell 13 with an intermediate shoulder 14 and a reduced lower portion 15 formed with threads 16. In the present instance, there is illustrated a socket of the pull type having a chain guide or exit operate with complemental means on'the an- 17 constituting a lateral projection extending through an opening 18 in the shell from the operating parts of the socket; the top 19 of these parts projects through the upper end of the shell which is not provided with a cap.

The socket is fitted within a receiving element 20 which for purposes of nomenclature may be termed an annulus, although this term as used throughout the specification and claims, is to be interpreted to cover any element performing the defined functions of the element 20. The annulus maybe provided with suitable depressed portions 21 adapted to engage corresponding depressions (not shown) in the canopy flange 11 to assist in looking the ring against rotating movement. For engagement with the socket the ring may be provided with suitable means to engage the socket and prevent movement of the same out of the ring and also rotative movement of the socket. This means preferably takesthe form of an upstanding hook 22 having a laterally and downwardly direct-ed entrance 23 whereby when the hook is fitted over a lateral projection on the socket, such as the chain exit 17, it will prevent the interior parts of the socket with which the projection is connected, from moving upwardly in the shell and out of the ,ring and also will pre vent the entire socket including the shell from similarly moving or from rotating within the ring. In other words, the single engaging hook 22 resists relative movement between the ring and socket, and unites the two parts as a complete composite rigid part of the fixture.

As will be observed, the ring is of suflicient size to engage or abut the flange 11 of the canopy which is preferably secured to the ring and socket so as to be supported with thesocket from the wall W by the'same means which supports the socket. The canopy securing means illustrated, is a collar 24 having an insulating shell 25 and threadedupon'the V reduced end 15 of the socket, the collar having an outwardly projecting flange 25 adapted to abut the under-surface of the canopy flange and thereby clamp the flange between the annulus 20 and the flange 25 of the collar. The collar 24, as will be observed, thus serves as a means to assist the hook 22 in securing the lamp shell within the annulus 20.

The canopy and socket with the mounting ring 20 are carried by a bracket, generally designated by the reference character 26, and

provided With means, such as the threaded opening 29, for engaging the stud ll-to be supported thereby. The bracket is'formed with depending means, such as the'pair of arms 30, for engaging cooperating means upon the ring, such as the lugs 31 whereby to support the latter with the canopy andlamp socket. Each arm is bifurcated to provide longitudinally extending portions having suitable means formed thereon to coinclined under surface 32 and a top substantially horizontal surface 32". To cooperate with'the teeth 32, the annulus may be provided with a suitable yielding or resilient engaging means adapted to engage the teeth automatically when the annulus is adjusted on the bracket, and thereby hold the annulus in selected position; For this purpose, a spring means, such as the U-shaped spring wire clip 33, has its end portions bent to provide right angularly-dispo sed port-ions 34 adaptedto cooperate with the teeth 32. The portions 34 are arranged to project through slots 35 formed on each of the lugs 31, the latter being provided with edge portions 36 turned over the body of the lug to form slots on the lugs, which receive the .bracket arms and resist lateral or tilting.

the annulus, the ends of the spring clip may be spread apart to cause the portions 34 to clear the top surfaces 32'! of the teeth. It will be observed that the spring clip and teeth 32 constitute complemental interengaging means upon the annulus and arms for the purpose of locking automatically the parts in adjusted position, one of the complemental means being yieldable to permit disengagement of the locking parts and automatic look- 'ing of the parts together as the annulus is moved upwardly. j

As will be understood, the ring and its socket may be adjusted longitudinally of the arms on the supporting bracket so that the distance between the ring and the wall W substantially corresponds to the distance between the canopy flange and the upper edge C of the canopy which, of course, should fit Obviously, numerous modifications of the illustrated structure will suggest themselves lUH lll

to one skilled in the art for embodying the inventive idea herein explained and defined in the following claims, and it will be understood that the details of construction have been explained solely for purposes of description and not to define the invention.

1. An electric fixture comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to an outlet stud and having an arm adapted to extend away from saidv stud, an annulus adapted to receive therein and seat an electric lamp socket having a shell, means on said annulus adapted. to engage the socket and restrain the same against movement out of the annulus, and means for mounting the annulus on said arm for adjustment longitudinally of the same.

2. An electric fixture comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to an outlet stud and having an arm adapted to extend away from said stud, an annulus adapted to receive therein an electric lamp socket having a shell, an upstanding arm on said annulus adapted to engage the socket-and restrain the same both against movement out of the annulus and against rotation therein, andmeans for mounting the annulus on said bracketarm for adjustment longitudinally of the same.

3. An electric fixture comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to an outlet stud and having an arm'adapted to extend awayfrom said stud, an annulus adapted .to receive therein an electric lamp socket having a shell, means on said annulus adapted to engage the socket and restrain the same against movement out of the annulus and means for mountingthe annulus on said arm for adjustment longitudinally of the same, said last mentioned means comprising alug on said an-- said stud, said bracket arm having a series bracket arm for adjustment longitudinally of teeth thereon, an annulus adapted to receive therein an electric lamp socket having a shell, an upstanding arm on said annulus adapted to engage the socket and restrain the same against movement out of the annulus and means for mounting the annulus on said of the same, said last mentioned means comprising a lug on said annulus adapted slidably to engage said bracket arm, and yieldable means associated with the annulus adapted releasably to engage the bracket teeth and lock the annulus automatically in adjusted position.

5. An electric fixture comprising a bracket adaptedeto be secured to an outlet stud and having an arm adapted to extend away from said stud, an annulus adapted to receive therein an electric lamp socket having a shell, an upstanding arm on said annulus adapted to take over a lateral projection on the socket and restrain the same against movement out of the annulus, and means for mounting the annulus on said arm for adjustment long1- tudinally of the same.

6. An electric fixture comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to an outlet stud and having an arm adapted to extend away from said stud, an; annulus adapted to receive therein an electric lamp socket having a shell, an upstanding hooked arm on said annulus adapted to engage a lateral projection on the socket and restrain the same against movement out of the annulus and means for mounting the annulus on said arm for adjustment longitudinally of the same, said last mentioned means comprising a lug on said an-' nulus adapted slidably to engage said arm,

7. An electric fixture comprising an annulus adapted to receive therein an electric lamp socket having a shell with the usual intermediate shoulder, said annulus being adapted to abut said shoulder and having an upstanding hooked. arm providedwith a laterally and downwardly directed inlet adapted to fit over a lateral projection on a socket and resist movement of the same out of the annulus.

' 8. An electric fixture comprising an annulus adapted to receive therein an electric lamp socket having a shell with the usual intermediate shoulder, said annulus being adapted to abut said shoulder and having an upstanding hook provided with a laterally anddownwardly directed inlet adapted to fit over a lateral projection or a socket and resist movement of the same out of the annulus, and a bracket adapted to be secured to an outlet stud, said bracket having an arm adapted to extend away from the stud, a lug on said annulus engaged with said arm for adjustment longitudinally thereof, and yieldable means for securing the lug to the arm against relative movement therebetween.

9. An electric fixture comprising an annulus adapted to receive therein an electric lamp socket having a shell with the usual intermediate shoulder, said annulus being adapted to abut said shoulder and having an upstanding hook provided with a laterally and downwardly directed inlet adapted to fit over a lateral projection or a socket and resist movement of the same out of the annulus, and a bracket adapted to be secured to an outlet stud, said bracket having an arm adapted to extend away from the stud, a lug spring fingers associated with said annulus on said'annulus engaged with said arm for to engage said teeth and thereby secure the adjustment longitudinally thereof, said lug annulus in adjusted position.

being formed with edge ortions turned over In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 the body thereof to provlde a channel receivmy hand.

ing said arm, teeth formed on said arm and spaced longitudinally thereof, and yieldable HENRY NICKERSON. 

